Insole support



March 15, 1932. MACDONALD 1,849,630

INSOLE SUPPORT I Filed July 19. 1929 Patented Mar. 15, 1932 PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM MACDONALD, F RUSSELLVILLE, ARKANSAS INSOLE SUPPORT Application filed Jul 19,

and arch support which is very simple in construction, strong, durable, and efiicient in operation. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined insole and arch support of such construction and arrangement that the insole, when placed-in the shoe, will locate 5 and hold the arch support in proper position for cooperation with the arch of the foot, and so that the arch supportwill in turn hold the insole in proper position for cooperation with the sole of the foot.

In my prior United States Letters Patent No. 1,706,455 I have disclosed a combined insole and arch support provided with a resilient projection or spring arm on the lat-' ter for bearing against the arch of the foot.

Ithasbeen found, however,thatthebone structure of certain feet will not permit the use of a spring arm on the arch support but requires a'rigid bracing element to maintain the bone structure of the foot in proper supported relation. Accordingly, this case is directed to a combined insole and arch support having a rigid supporting member in lieu of the spring arm, whereby my improved device may be adapted for use with feet wherein the bone structure of the foot requires rigid support at the arch. I have found that the insole and arch support embodying my invention tend (1) to support the navicular and first cuneiform bones as well as to aid the first metatarsal bone; (2) to act as a support from the sustentaculum tali to the metatarsal bone which is third from the first metatarsal bone and to prevent shifting in either direction; (3) to act as a support for the talus articulation and provide for an equal support or distribution throughout the entire articulation of the foot.

Other obiects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification when taken in connection with 1929. Serial No. 379,339.

the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention, it being understood that changes and modifications may be resorted to without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings: Flgure 1 is a top plan view of a combined lnsole and arch support embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a reverse or bottom plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direotion of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is. a detail view of the arch support detached from the insole, and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 taken on line 55 of Fig. 1 when looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the device illustrated in the drawings, 6 designates a front or toe portion and the numeral 7 indicates the rear or heel portion of the insole. This insole may be made of any suitable size and material, and, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, is provided along one of its sides with an upwardly curved portion 8, the concave side of which curved portion lies so that when located in the shoe it will longitudinally contact with the arch of the foot. For this reason the curved portion 8, which is located on that side of the insole adjacent the foot arch, is longitudin'ally extended from the front portion of the heel part of the insole to a point located at or about the front portion of the arch so as to join the rear part of the forward portion of the insole.

By reference to the drawings, especially to also affords, when the use of such construction may be desirable, more comfort to the foot of the wearer as well as affords a slight tendency to move or to hold the foot forward in the shoe.

Furthermore, while locating the upwardly curved portion 8 to extend upwardly from the inner edge of the insole between the front part of the heel portion and the rear part of the forward portion of the insole, it is obvious that said curved portion will be positioned so as to cooperate with the arch of the foot at all times and so that neither the curved portion nor the insole can slip or be misplaced from their proper positions.

Longitudinally mounted on the bottom of the insole near the edge adjacent the upturned portion 8, is the base portion 9 of an arch support 10, which base portion may be provided with a central reinforcing rib 17 and which may be secured near its ends by rivets 11 to the insole and is curved upwardly near its middle part, as indicated at 12 in Fig. 4, to provide a rigidly braced, slightly raised, curved portion 13, which may fit and support the arch of the foot. This base 9 also serves to prevent the leather insole from breaking longitudinally along the curve 16 of the upwardly turned portion 8.

To strengthen and reinforce the upturned part 8 of base 9 of the arch support 10, a rigidly upturned lip 15 is provided near its front end projecting along, against, and near the front upper edge of the curved portion 8 and serving to support the same against the arch of the foot with comfort and sufficient rigidity.

Thus it will be understood that the base 9 of arch support 10 will normally lie in an upwardly bowed position to provide an upwardly curved portion 13 in the insole and that lip 15 will be curved to correspond to and support the curve of the portion 8 and will rigidly rest against the outside of this portion 8, and that this curved portion 8 of the insole, the base 9 of the arch support and the rigid lip 15 will afford a very efficient and comfortable support for the arch of the foot.

From the foregoing description, it will be noted that I provide a combined insole and arch support so associated with one another that they form a unit and cooperate in such a way as to hold one on the other in proper and constantly correct position for each to perform its function and without liability of either being displaced. Furthermore, by employing the arch support comprising the base 9, formed in the manner described, if so desired, and with an upwardly curved rigid lip 15, it is apparent that greater durability and reinforcement will be provided to the leather insole carrying the same.

I claim:

1. In a combined insole and arch support, the combination with a forwardly tapered insole of a size preferably to cover the entire insole portion of a shoe, said insole having at or along one of its edges an upturned and curved portion extending longitudinally from the front of the heel portion of the insole to a point at or about the front part of the arch of the foot, of an arch support comprising a longitudinally extended and normally upwardly bent base secured near its ends to the bottom of the insole at the base of said upturned and curved portion, said base having an upwardly turned rigid lip resting against and rigidly supporting only the front upper portion of said upturned and curved portion.

2. In a combined insole and arch support, the combination of an insole having its side edges outwardly beveled and upturned, said insole having at one of its edges an upturned and curved portion, of a reinforcing arch support comprising a longitudinally and upwardly bent base secured near its ends to the bottom of the insole at the base portion of said upturned and curved portion, said base having only an upwardly extended rigid lip for resting against and rigidly supporting the front upper portion of said upturned and curved portion only.

3. In a combined insole and arch support, the combination of an insole having at one of its edges an upturned and curved portion extending longitudinally from the front of the heel portion of the insole to a point on the same at or about the front part of the arch of the foot, said upturned and curved portion being an integral part of said insole, of a reinforcing arch support comprising a longitudinally extended and a normally upwardly bent base secured near its ends to the bottom of the insole and at the base of said upturned and curved portion, said base of the arch support having only a rigid lip for resting against and supporting the front upper portion only of said upturned and curved portion.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

WILLIAM MACDONALD. 

